Coupling for tractioin-engines.



No. 665,294. U Patented Ian. I, I90I. S. H. WILLIAMS. COUPLING FORTRACTION ENGINES.

2 Sheets Sheet I.

- (No Model.)

\jdfigzsses G o o 7 19929101 M No. 665,294 Patented Jan. I901.

s. H. WILLIAMS.

COUPLING F OR TRACTION ENGINES.

(Application filed May 24, 1900.\

(No Model.)

2 Shaetg-Sheet 2.

O O O O 0 O O O O O O 0 O O O O 0 UNITED STATES FFICE.

PATENT COUPLING FOR TRACTION-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 665,294, dated J anuary1, 1901.

Application filed May 24, 1900. Serial No. 17,903. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SANDFORD HOWARD WILLIAMS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented a new and useful Coupler for Traction-Engines,of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved coupler for traction and agriculturalengines, the object of myinvention being to provide an improved coupler,which is adapted to couple a traction or agricultural engine to thedraft-pole of a harvesting or other machine or vehicle, which isautomatic in its operationand is adapted for readily uncoupling themachine from the engine at will.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination ofdevices hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of acoupler constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a detailperspective view of the coupling-link. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinalsectional view of my improved coupler. Fig. 4 is a side elevation ofportions of a traction-engine and threshing machine provided with myimproved coupling devices.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a draw-head 1, which haslaterally-extending lugs or cars 2 on its upper and lower sides providedwith bolt-holes, as at 3, and the .same is secured centrally under theplatform of a traction-engine by means of bolts a, as shown in Fig. 4.The draw-head is provided with the flared mouth 1. Near the inner end ofthe draw-head is a partition 5. A longitudinally-disposed rod 6 extendsthrough a central opening in the partition 5,and the head of said rod isswiveled in a U-shaped keeper 7, to which is pivoted the inner end of adrawbar 8. A coiled extensile spring 9 is placed on the extended shankof the rod 6 and is secured thereon by a disk or washer 10 and key 11.The said spring bears between said washer 10 and a similar washer 12against the partition 5, and the said spring is of suflicient strengthand size to sustain the draft of the engine.

The draw-bar is provided at its outer end, which is disposed just withinthe flared mouth of the draw-head,with a downward-extendinginwardly-inclined draw-hook 13, which is normally in engagement with thelower side of the draw-head. A book 14 also depends from the draw-bar ata suitable distance from the hook 13 and is inclined in the reversedirection, said hook 14 being longer than the hook 13 and projectingdownward through an opening 15 in the bottom of the draw-bar. A spring16 is secured in the draw-head, bears downward on the draw-bar,and keepsthe same normally in the position hereinbefore described, and shown inFig. 3.

The pivot 17 for the draw-bar is formed by a rod which extendstransversely through longitudinally-disposed openings 18 in the sides ofthe draw-head, and one end of the said rod is turned rearward andupturned to form a crank-arm 19, which is provided with a pedal 20. Thedraw-bar is secured firmly to the said rod 17, and by partly turning thelatter by depressing the crank-arm 19 thereof the draw-bar may be raisedin the drawhead, as will be understood, in order to disengage the hook13 from the eye 21 of the link 22. The said link 22 is a bar which isprovided at the end opposite the eye 21 with a box or housing 23,forming a socket for the outer end of the draft pole or tongue I) of athreshing or other machine or a vehicle, as the case may be. Bolts 2 1secure the box or housing on the end of the tongue, as shown, and thebox or housing is provided on its upper side at its front end with adownturned lip or hook 25, which is adapted to retain the link or ringof a neck-yoke or other holdback devices employed when a team isharnessed to the machine or vehicle. In practice machines or vehicleswhich are to be at times attached to and drawn bya traction oragricultural engine by my improved coupler are permanently provided withlinks 22, constructed as hereinbefore described.

It will be understood that when the tongue provided with the draft-link22 is run into the mouth of the draw-head, which is usually done bybacking the traction-engine, the eye 21, by engagement with the outerside of the inclined draw-hook 13, passes under the latter, therebyraising the outer end of the drawbar, and contacts with the hook 14, thespring 16 and the weight of the draw-bar causing the latter to drop assoon as the outer side of 1 the eye 21 clears the under end of thedrawhook 13, whereupon the latter descends in the eye 21, as shown inFigs. 1 and 3, thereby coupling the tongue of the machine or vehicle tothe traction or agricultural engine. When descending an incline and thetongue I) moves forward, the outer side of the eye 21 engages the outerside of the inclined hook 14, the latter serving as a stop for thecoupling or draft link, and the pressure of the latter against theinclined side of the hook 14 serves to keep the draw-head in thedepressed position hereinbefore described, and shown in Fig. 3, therebyeffectually preventing the link from becoming uncoupled from thedrawhead. In the event that it becomes necessary to uncouple the enginefrom the machine or vehicle this may be instantly accomplished bydepressing the crank-arm 19 of shaft-rod 17, thereby raising the outerend of the drawhead, so that the book 13 is disengaged from the eye 21of the coupling-lin k, and while the draw-head is in this position uponstarting the traction-engine the link will be drawn out from thedraw-head, as will be understood.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a coupler of theclass described, a

coupling link or bar having an eye at its front end, a box or housing atits rear end forming a socket to receive the end of a draft pole ortongue, and a downturned hook at the front side of the said box orhousing above the said coupling link or bar, substantially as described.

2. In a coupler of the class described, the draw-head having thepartition, the longitudinally-disposed rod in an opening in saidpartition, a spring drawing inward on said rod, a keeper attached to theouter end of said rod, a rock-shaft extending transversely throughopenings in said keeper and through slots in the sides of the draw-head,and a draw-bar fast on said rock-shaft, the latter forming the pivotthereof, and said draw-bar having the downturned books 13, 14- incombination with a coupling bar or link having an eye adapted to beengaged by the said hook 13-3, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SANDFURD HOWARD WILLIAMS.

\Vitnesses:

C. W. SEVILLE, VERN BooTH.

